Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday welcomed the UPA's decision to create separate state of Telangana and attributed the decision as a victory of the people.
"Today we pay our respects to all those who struggled and gave their lives for a new state of Telangana. This is a victory of people's power!" Modi, who also heads the BJP campaign committee, tweeted.
Modi, however, did not waste an opportunity to criticise the Congress for delaying the decision over the statehood for Telangana over all these years. "Instead of facing the people of Andhra Pradesh all these years, Congress hid behind committees and reports. Will they apologise to people of Andhra Pradesh for this?" Modi asked.
His comments was in line with his party's stand. Earlier BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said that the BJP welcomed the decision, but added the BJP will look at the decision and then give its reaction.
The Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body, decided to recommend to the central government to form the 29th state which will comprise 10 districts.
Hyderabad, considered the crowning jewel of the Telangana region, will be the joint capital of the newly-proposed state and the other regions - Rayalaseema and Andhra - for a period of 10 years.
A new capital for Andhra will be identified Seemandhra region within this period.
"It is resolved to request the Central government to take steps in accordance with the Constitution to form a separate state of Telangana ......within a definite timeframe," said a resolution passed at an hour-long meeting of the CWC.
Congress General Secretary and Andhra Pradesh in-charge Digvijaya Singh said that decision has been made keeping in mind a long standing demand of the people of Telangana.
The CWC meet followed a meeting of the UPA which also unanimously favoured formation of Telangana. The CWC acknowledged that it "has not been an easy decision" but it was taken after the widest possible consultations and taking into account the chequered history of the demand for a separate state.
The decisions by the CWC and the UPA came after hectic consultations for the last over a week on creation of the 29th state of the country that will have a geographical area of 10 of the 23 districts of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
The Union Cabinet will meet on Wednesday, apparently to consider formation of a Group of Ministers to go into economic issues on creation of the new state.
(with additional information from PTI)
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